Spinal cord stimulation is used to alleviate chronic pain by stimulating the central nervous system. Conventional spinal cord stimulator leads include percutaneous leads and surgical leads. Percutaneous leads, such as the Medtronic PISCES-Quad® or Octad® leads or the ANS Octrode® and Quattrode® leads, are solid and have a plurality, but typically four or eight, electrode contacts. The percutaneous leads can be inserted through a needle and placed in the epidural space, in close proximity to the spinal cord. When activated, the contacts deliver a precise, mild electrical impulse to the spinal cord or to a peripheral nerve. The electrical impulses activate pain inhibitory mechanisms to block the pain signal from reaching the brain.
However, accurately placing known contacts can be rather difficult because the epidural space that surrounds the spinal cord typically contains fat, veins, adhesions, and connective tissue membranes which interfere with, and often prevent, the accurate placement of the contacts. Using current surgical equipment, a surgeon sometimes inserts a spinal cord stimulator lead and encounters such a tissue obstruction before reaching the emplacement/treatment site, and is then forced to remove it and insert an implement to try clearing the obstruction, if that doesn't work then remove that and insert a different implement to try clearing the obstruction, and then remove that and reinsert the stimulator lead for use to treat the condition. All of this insertion, removal, insertion, removal, insertion, removal, and reinsertion presents increased risks of injuring the spinal cord of the patient.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method which would allow for greater ease in placing percutaneous contacts in the epidural space, particularly when there are tissue obstructions.